Machine for producing knitted fabric



June 1, 1948. A. SHORTLAND 2,442,442

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING KNITTED FABRIC Filed April 2, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Attorney June 1, 1948. A. SHORTLAND 2,442,442

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING KNITTED FABRIC Filed April 2, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 n enfo; MAW By flmx a? WW Altorney I June 1, 1948. A. SHORTLAND 2,442,442

' MACHINE FOR PRODUCING KNI T n Filed April 2. 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 1, 1948. A. SHORTLAND 2,442,442 MACHINE FOR PRODUCING KNlTTED FABRIC 7 Filed April 2, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Attorney Patented June I, 1948 Arthurishortland, Leicester, England, assignor to Mellor BromleyrdaeCo. Limited, Leicester, Eng-- land,v aBriti'sli company Application April 2'; 1945, 'Serial No. 586393 Iii-Great Britain ctober 4', 1943 4 CIaimsr (Cl.-66-!-24) This invention relates to: the: production of-' knitted fabric and the purpose ,thereof is to en able various, conventional stitch-effects including, for example, ,pressoff, miss stitch; and-purl stitch effects, or any,desiredqcombinatiorrvof such effects to be. produced-bymcans of a; methodot and a machine for knitting involving a -pr-inciplewhich, so-.far as weare aware; has not been adoptedpreviouslyill; the production of such effects.-

The invention-is applicabletoknittingmachines of the independent needletype-generally includ--- ing those of the type havingasingleset of needles as well as those of the type-furnished with twoormore sets of needles adaptedto co-operateirr the production of ribbed or purl fabric, or capable of producing either plain, ribbed-orpur-l fabric separately or in any desired sequence;

Moreover it is primarily the intention to carry methodsof thetinventionf maybe efiected repeatw edly-con prearranged needlesmr in aselective man- IIGI'TSQ'Ltha-t 'difierent hooks are closedatdifierent timesaccording, to: the effectto be produced-v Similarly the-transfer of. loopsorstitches-may-be effected repeatedly from prearranged -needles at appropriate intervais' so that apredeterminedefiect'is repeatediat intervals or the transfer of loops or stitches maybe effected selectivelylso that a; diversity of pattern effects may i be 7 produced without re-arrangement of needles The-invention includes the provision in akni'tting- ;machineiofr the independent needle type of" means; so constructedand. arranged as to be adapted to cause closure of the hooks of desired needles in order .to producethe effect desired,

The various features of the invention will now be-more-fully described and exempli'fidby .refrence to'particular embodiments applied toa cirthe invention into practice in circular knitting gucular independent latch needleknittingmachine machines of the independent latch needle/type,

but circular knitting machines of the independent.

bearded needle type may be employed.

Broadly considered theinvention vincludes ,a-

method of knittingwhich involves: closure .of needle hooks so that the needleswwith closedhooks will not knit while needles with-open hooks'will' knit.

In this methodof knitting the knitting yarn orwith closed latches-in relation to a knitting yarns may be laid upon the-needles with: closed hooks but when the said needles are -moved-end-.

formed only by needles withopen hooks.

As regards knitting machines with latch needles the method involves closure :of needle. latches sol as to prevent the knitting yarn or yarnsfromaentering the needle hooks, whereas inknitting machines with beardedtneedles the method involves pressing the beards to close theahooksand. there-v by produce a similar result The method may include transfer of loops-or 25 closing memberacting upon the latches of dial needles,

Figure 2 is arperspecti ve view. of a ffagmentaryl portion of the dial of the machine, showings, fe'w" ofthedial needlese-some with open and others yarn,

Figure 3 isa perspective view of a latchope'nlng device-for opening.closed latches of. needles-dcvoid of stitches,

Figure 4 is a detaili'plaln View of needles and" of .alternatdcylirider loops to dial needles,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional View throughthe cylinder and dial showing needles and 'corhpaniori transfer. elements, 7

Figure. 7 islan elevation-a1 view corresponding to stitches from one or more ofstheneedlestoan-v. FigureWG, illustratingtransference of cylinder other or others, and closure of the. hook or=ho0ks of the needle orlneedles from which the transfer has been effected. Thus-in .a machinewitha Sll'l-e gle series oi needles the transfer may be'effected.

from a desired needleor needlestoran' adjacent one set to a, needle. 0!; needleslnathemtherzori 311% otherof suchsets'.

loops to dlal,needles,

Figure 8 is-a detail plan view depicting transferof dial-ioops to cylinder needles/ Figure 9 is alplan view-:ofso much ofthediab so camsystern of the maehine as is necessaryeto needleor needles,- and iii-1a machine with twotormore sets of needleslrfrom a needle or needlesirr;

illustrate the invention-,

Figures 10, 11 -and: 12- aredetail' perspective views of co-operatingcylinder and dial: needles at di-fierent stages; in the: transference of I a loop:

The: closure; of needlehooks according to. the- 68: from-:thcdiahneedle'to:thecylinder-needleand Figures 13, 14 and 15 are three views similar to Figures l0, l1 and 12 respectively at corresponding stages in the transference of a loop from the cylinder needle to the dial needle.

Like parts are designatedby similar referenc characters throughout the drawings.

The embodiments hereinafter to be described sively, to a circular knitting machine which, as shown more clearly in Figure 6, comprises a cylinder i furnished with independent latch needles 2 and an associated dial 3 furnished with independent latch needles 4.

formation, said elements being adapted to cooperate with needles from and to which stitches 1 are to be transferred and being operable in conare applicable mainly, but not necessarily exclu- A junction with the said needles for the desired purpose. 7

V In either event the transfer mechanism includes suitable means for effecting the necessary lengthwise movements of the transfer elements and -such operating means may comprise a cam sys- According to the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 9, the latch closing means consist of a member in the form of a thin profile cam (or it may be a blade spring) with an inclined or curved edge 6, mounted almost con is laid upon those needles 4 with closed latches 8 so that when the said needles are retracted to knocking-over position the yarn will merely pass idly over the hooks to the back of the needles. During retraction to knocking-over position the needles, such as that indicated at 4 with open latches, will take the yarn y to form it into stitches.

' Latch opening means of any conventional or other character may be provided for opening closed latches of needles devoid of stitches to enable said needles to resume knitting when required. For instance, such latch opening means may, as shown in Figure 3, consist of a device including a pointed bar-like element 9 which is bent in the manner illustrated and secured to a block Hi. This block is pivotally mounted upon a screw I l and controlled by a, spring 2. The element Si is thus made yieldable. The position occupied by the latch opening device is indicated in Figure 9.

A machine constructed in accordance with the invention may also include loop or stitch transferring mechanism so arranged as to be adapted to effect transfer of loops or stitches from one needle or a, number of needles to an adjacent needle or needles which may be in the same set, or in the case of a machine with two or more needle beds, from a needle or needles in one bed to a needle or needles in the other oranother bed for the purpose of producing openwork effects or purl stitch effects in the knitted fabric.

For this purpose the transfer mechanism may include knitting needles which, in addition to their normal functions, may also be adapted to effect transfer of loops or stitches. For example, the transfer needles may be of the construction including in addition to the hook a stitch engaging and retaining shoulder with or without a stitch expanding formation, whereby upon endwise movement of the needle beyond the clearing position the stitch is held in a laterally displaced position or in a condition, e. g-, laterally spread, for engagement by the needle to which transference is to be effected.

Alternatively the transfer mechanism may include hookless elements of the form having a stitch engaging shoulder and a stitch expanding tern or systems including a pattern controlled cam or cams for rendering the elements opera tive and inoperative, or a cam system or systems and selecting, or pattern controlled variable selecting'means of any conventional type for controlling the operation of the elements according V to the effect to be achieved.

The. transfer elements are preferably provided with butts or equivalent formations for engagement with the operating means as in the particular example shortly to be described. According to one arrangement the transfer elements may be of different lengths or provided with butts of different lengths, or in different planes, and maybe prearranged so as to provide different sets of butts in conjunction with a cam system or systems appropriately arranged in relation to the knitting cam system or systems of one or each bed of the machine suchwise that a predetermined effect is repeated at intervals as decided by the aforesaid pattern controlled cam or cams which may be rendered operative and inoperative by pattern means of which various conventional forms, including drums, chains or equivalent means, are available. Alternatively the transfer elements may be all of the same form for operation selectively as by a rotary selecting device, or by a pattern In chanism including a pattern con trolling drum or jacquard band, and intermediate selectors, so as to produce extensive purl designs. 7 V

If desired, transfer mechanism of the form disclosed in the specification of United Kingdom Letters Patent No. 401,448, or of the form disclosed in the specification of United Kingdom Letters Patent N 0. 478,969, may be adopted.

In the particular example illustrated in the drawings, however, the transfer mechanism includes instruments I 3 each having a stitch engaging shoulder I i and a laterally offset stitch expanding formation 15, there being one such transfer instrument to every cylinder needle 2, and, in association with every dial needle 4, a somewhat similar instrument #5 with a stitch engaging shoulder l? and an offset stitch expanding formation it. The free end of the offset formation of each transfer. instrument is pointed and engages in a recess formed in the side of the companion needle. Each cylinder needle is formed with a shoulder 19 so disposed as to be adapted to co-operate with the shoulder Hi of the companion instrument 13 in supporting the tricks both in the cylinder and in'the dial 7 are made sufiiciently wide to receive a needle and an instrument, side by side, and the needles and instruments are provided with similar butts. Thus, adjacent to the knitting butt 2| on each cylinder needle 2, there is a similar butt 22 on the companion instrument 13, the two butts being for engagement with the same operating cams. Similarly, adjacent to the knitting butt 23 on each dial needle 4 there is a butt 24 on the adjacent instrument 16. Other butts 2'5 and 26 on the cylinder and dial needles respectively are also duplicated on the companion instruments.

The transfer of a loop I from a dial needle 4 to a cylinder needle 2 will now be briefly described with reference to Figures 10, 11 and 12. The dial needle is fully advanced so that the loop initially in the hook thereof opens the latch 8 of that needle, is then expanded by the formation l8 of the companion instrument 1% and caught by the shoulders I! and 20 where it is held While the receiving cylinder needle 2 is advanced through the expanded loop, i. e., between the inner side of the dial needle and the opposing inner face of the offset formation 18 (see Figure 10). The dial needle is then withdrawn durin which movement the loop I is left on the stem and around the open latch 21 of the cylinder needle. The initial stage in the said withdrawal of the dial needle is depicted in Figure 11, while Figure 12 shows the needle fully withdrawn-its latch 8 having been closed by contact with the transferred loop.

In transferring a loop Z from a cylinder needle 2 to a dial needle 4, on the other hand, the cylinder needle is fully raised so that the loop to be transferred is expanded by the formation of the companion instrument [3 and then caught and supported by the shoulders l4 and 19, while at the same time the receiving dial needle is advanced through the expanded loop (Figure 13). The cylinder needle is then retracted (see Figures 14 and 15) leaving the loop Z on the dial needle. During such retraction of the cylinder needle, its latch 2! is closed by contact with the transferred loop.

By way of example, only the dial cam system will be described. A section of the dial cam plate at one feeder of the machine is shown in Figure 9, this plate being stationary, while the cylinder and dial rotate in the direction of the arrow. A transfer cam 28, adapted to be put into and out of operation at required times, is provided for engagement with the knitting butts 23 of desired dial needles 4 to advance the latter to a point A, beyond the clearing position, during the transference of loops from these needles to cylinder needles. After being advanced for this purpose, dial needles are thereupon withdrawn to the point B (knocking-over position) by engagement of their knitting butts with a cam 29 to leave the loops on the cylinder needles. Thereafter the new empty dial needles are partially advanced again to the point C by a cam 30 to enable their latches 8 to be opened by the element 9. At 3| is shown a further cam for engagement with the knitting butts 23 of desired dial needles to advance the same to a point D at such times as they are required to receive loops from cylinder needles. All of the dial needles are withdrawn seriatim by a cam 32 to the point E (knockingover position) whilst passing the latch closing member 5 to effect closure of the dial needle latches 8 as hereinbefore described. Consequently when the butts 23 engage the customary clearing cam 33, the latches 8 of those dial needles 4 having loops thereon are opened, whereas the latches of dial needles devoid of loops remain closed. The stitch cam is indicated at 34. As

will be understood, the various cams mentioned also engage the butts 24 of the transfer instruments l6 so that the latter and the companion dial needles are advanced and retracted together,

Figures 4, 5, 7 and 8 illustrate various stages in the transference of loops from dial needles to cylinder needles, and vice versa, in the production of knitted fabric. Thus, for instance in Figure 4, there are depicted successive stages in loop transference in the case where all of the dial loops are to be transferred to cylinder needles. The dial needle 4A and the companion transfer element IBA are shown fully advanced so that the loop dZA is expanded and retained for penetration by the rising cylinder needle 2A. At the other end of the series of seven cylinder and dial needles represented in Figure 4, the dial needle 4B is shown fully withdrawn, so as to leave the loop dZB around the stem of the receiving cylinder needle 2B.

In Figure 5, cylinder loops, such as those indicated at 01C and 02D, are shown in the course of being transferred from alternate cylinder needles 2C and 2D to the adjacent alternate dial needles 4C and 41) respectively. As will be seen, the intervening dial needles 4 in Figure 5 are empty, i. e., devoid of loops.

Figure 7 shows a similar transference of loops to that shown in Figure 5, although as will be noted the cylinder needles 2E and 2F are empty. The cylinder needle 2G with the closed latch 21 is that from which the cylinder loop clG has been transferred to the dial needle 4G.

In Figure 8, alternate dial needles are empty, and dial loops are shown in the course of transference from the intervening dial needles to adjacent cylinder needles, as will be clear to the reader without further elaboration.

It may in some cases be convenient to operate the transfer elements through the medium of jacks with appropriate butts or equivalent formations thereon.

In any event, by furnishing one or each of the needle beds with a full complement of transfer needles, or a transfer element in conjunction with every Ordinary needle and selectively operating the same, a stitch or stitches may be transferred from any desired needle or needles t an adjacent needle or needles and a great variety of purl stitch designs may be produced.

It will of course be understood that the transfer mechanism will be arranged and adapted to operate suchwise that transfer of stitches is effected either in advance of (as in Figure 9) or beyond a knitting location, or between knitting locations where there are more than one as in a circular knitting machine having two or more feeders.

For example, in the application of the invention to a circular knitting machine of the cylinder and dial type to make purl fabric as conventionally produced but without patterning, e..g., jacquered mechanism for controlling the dial needles, thefollowing procedure may be adopted.

(a) Transfer all dial needle stitches to cylinder needles.

(b) Transfer selected cylinder needle stitches back to companion dial needles, as a result of which there will be some needles in the cylinder with stitches and some without and some dial needles with stitches and others without.

(c) Before a feeder and after transfer close all of the dial needle latches, as by means of a thin profile cam or blade spring mounted almost contiguously to the face of the dial, so that when yarn is laid on the needles at'the feeder in the normal way the needles with latches opened as the result of clearing their loops will take it and knit while the remainder (with closed latches) do not. r

' If desired, the latches of the cylinder needles as Well as those of the dial needles may be closed as by a thin profile cam or blade spring mounted almost contiguously to the face of the needle cylinder.

The latch closing member or members may be movably mounted and automatically controlled so as to be movable into and out of the operative position so that closure of latches may be periodically interrupted,

The method and machine according to the inventlon are to. be regarded as applicable to the production of knitted fabric knitted in the piece for manufacture subsequently into knitted outerwear and underwear as well as garment lengths comprising a welt, a ribbed border such as of 1/1, 2/2 or other rib combination, and a patterned, e. g., purl stitch, body portion produced automatically in longitudinal sequence, separately or in string formation with parting courses or draw threads,

For instance, in a typical example, with a full complement of transfer needles in a machine of the cylinder and dial type the procedure is as follows:

After makin the usual welt, which may be a shogged Welt, and a 2/2 ribbed border, a 1/1 purl stitch body is produced by:

If the machine is not equipped with patterning mechanism all of the aforesaid changes can be made by means of double butt long and short needles suitably prearranged. This will produce fabric, e. g., a garment length with a body, of 1 plain, 1 purl.

If the machine is equipped with pattern mechanism for selectively operating the needles, tuck stitch or other pattern effects may be producedon plain needles, with latches open, at the knitting location or locations where dial needles miss knitting by virtue of their latches being closed. According to a further example of the method, in making say a garment length with a bodyof a purl design on a machine of the cylinder and dial type the procedure would be as'followst 1. Transfer all stitches from dial needles to cylinder needles.

2. Transfer stitches from selected cylinder needles to dial needles.

3. Knit on dial and cylinder needles then having stitches thereon. Empty cylinder and dial needles will not knit.

Before knitting on dial needles, close all dial needle latches with dial needles at a non-knitting, e. g. half-course position. Project the dial needles to clearing position, when needles with loops will open their latches and needles without loops will keep their latches closed. Feed thread to selected cylinder needles, which will draw their loops over the closed dial needle latches and dial needleswith loops will take the thread at this position. 7

If desired, cylinder needles with loops thereon could be selectively operated to knit or not, or to produce other pattern effects of a desired conventional kind by means of a an appropriate needle selecting patterning mechanism.

A latch guard or guards maybe provided to keep latches closed, the guard or guards being gapped or otherwise appropriately formed to allow the latches of needles with stitches thereon ed to cause some of the needles of the set to have loops of the said yarn thereon while the remainder have not, means for closing at a nonclearing position, the hooks of all the needles in said set, means for thereafter advancing the said needles to clearing position as a consequence of which the latches of needles with loops thereon are opened by the said loops whereas the latches of needles devoid of loops remain closed, and means for retracting the said needles to knockingover position so that needles with open latches take the yarn and knit while the needle with closed hooks do not knit.

2. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a set of independent latch needles, means for feeding yarn to the said needles and for operating the same to form loops of the yarn, means for transferring loops from some of the needles of said set to other needles so that in this set there will be some needles with loops thereon and others devoid of loops, means for closing, at a non-clearing position, the latches of all the needles in the said set, means for thereafter advancing the said needles to clearing position as a consequence of which the latches of needles with loops thereon are opened by the said loops whereas the latches of needles devoid of loops remain closed, and means for retracting the needles to knocking-over position so that needles With open latches take the yarn and knit while the needles with closed latches do not knit.

3. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, two sets of independent latch needles, means for feeding yarn to the needles and for operating same to form loops of the yarn, means for transferring loops from needles in one set to needles in the other set so that in one'of said sets there will be some needles with loops thereon and others devoid of loops, means for closing the latches of all the needles in the last mentioned set, at a non-clearing position, means for thereafter advancing the needles of the said set to clearing position as a consequence of which the latches of needles with loops thereon are opened by the said loops whereas the latches of needles devoid of loops remain closed, and means for retracting needles of the aforesaid set to knockingover position so that needles with open latches take the yarn and knit while the needles with closed latches do not knit.

'4. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, at least two rotary needle beds, a set of independent latch needles for operation in each of said beds, means for supplying yarn to the needles and for causing said needles to form loops of said yarn, means enabling loops to be transferred from some of the needles in one bed to needles in the other bed, a fixed memberfor closing the latches of needles in the set from. which the r 9 transfer of loops has been effected, said member being in the form of a thin profile cam with a curved edge mounted contiguously to the face of the appropriate needle bed so as to be adapted to engage the spoons and backs of the latches of the needles in said bed, means for moving the needles of the last mentioned set to a predetermined non-clearing position lengthwise in relation to the said fixed latch closing member so that as the result of movement of the needles in a coursewise direction of knitting past the latch closing member open latches of needles in the said set are turned over and closed, means for thereafter advancing the needles of this set to clearing position as a consequence of which the latches of needles of said set with loops thereon are opened by the said loops while the latches of the needles of the set devoid of loops remain closed, and means for retracting needles of the same set to knocking-over position so that needles with open latches take the yarn and knit while the needles with closed latches do not knit.

ARTHUR SHORTLAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 525,091 Cartledge Aug. 28, 1894 1,082,239 Rosenthal Dec. 23, 1913 2,040,319 Lombardi May 12, 1936 2,111,477 McAdams Mar, 15, 1938 2,124,305 Lombardi July 19, 1938 2,129,103 Sander Sept. 6, 1938 2,255,693 Jones Sept. 9, 1941 2,313,642 Holmes et a1. Mar. 9, 1943 2,378,315 Minton June 12, 1945 2,396,489 Brooksby et a1 Mar. 12, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 478,969 Great Britain J an. 27, 1938 510,356 Great Britain July 31, 1939 

